Waterloo MPP asks Ontario's auditor general to investigate Region of Waterloo's plans to buy farmland

Waterloo MPP Catherine Fife has written to Ontario's auditor general asking her to conduct a value-for-money audit of the Region of Waterloo's plans to purchase farmland in Wilmot Township for future industrial use.

In her letter to the auditor general, Fife says the Ontario government "has been funding and directing" the region's plans.

"The provincial government has mandated that this plan proceed largely in secret, requiring local officials to sign non-disclosure agreements that prevent them from explaining to the public the basis of decisions concerning this land assembly, including why the government would seek to place a new industrial campus in the middle of prime farmland," Fife wrote in her letter, which has Monday's date and which Fife shared on social media on Monday.

The letter is signed by Fife and NDP agriculture, food and agribusiness critic John Vanthof. In it, they ask for Auditor General Shelley Spencer to investigate "whether the provincial government's decisions have been consistent with provincial plans, policies and laws, including the statutory responsibility to protect the province's agricultural resources."

Fife and Vanthof write that the audit would provide "crucial oversight and transparency that has been missing."

In March, 12 landowners of six farmland properties and six residential properties were told the Region of Waterloowanted to purchase their land.

The region has said the land is not being earmarked for any particular project, but would be for future industrial use.

The plan has beenpraised by some local business leadersbutcriticized by some of the landowners, their supporters and politicians,including Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles.

WATCH|Wilmot tractors travel to Kitchener for farmland protest:

Wilmot tractors travel to Kitchener for farmland protest

1 month ago

Duration 3:31

Ahead of a council meeting, Wilmot Townships Fight for Farmland group gathered outside Region of Waterloo headquarters Wednesday evening for the Not a Willing Host protest. Farmers drove their tractors down Highway 7/8 via police escort to make it to the rally. The group is protesting a deal by the region to buy up or expropriate 770 acres of land in Wilmot Township for an undisclosed industrial project.

Two Wilmot Township councillorshave also called on the region to be more transparentabout their plans.

Back in July, the region said it had purchased nearly a third of the sought land andon-site technical analysiswould soon begin. That same month, the region was criticized after it plowed under160 acres (nearly 65 hectares) of immature feed corn in order to do testing on the site.

The region has since said it looked at ways to save the crop, but there were no options to do so and the deadlines the region needed to meet as part of "the due diligence process" needed to be completed to an undisclosed deadline.

In August,Kitchener-Conestoga MPPand Minister of Red Tape Reduction Mike Harris and Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade Vic Fedeliconfirmed the province is providing funding for the land acquisition, but said there has been a "lack of transparency in [the region's]land assembly process."

Region of Waterloo Chair Karen Redman said those comments "surprised" and "confused" her because "from the very beginning of this project, we worked in lockstep with the province."

Redman told CBC News at the time thatfrom the beginning of the land assembly process, the region requested more flexibility on purchase timelines and the ability to share more information with the community, but was denied that by the province.

Regional councillors are expected to receive a report about the plowed over corn crop at their meeting Wednesday night.